Chapter Ten: Last Midnight
Squall was sitting down at a table a short time after. Almost everyone was waltzing on the dance floor. He was sipping a glass of wine, getting a little dizzy, as he was not used to alcohol. It's ten at night now, and the sky is colored dark-blue. Squall put the glass down on the table and walked around a bit. Then sitting down again at a table near the door. "Hey, you." Someone said. He looked up. A girl was walking toward him. She was in a pearl-white dress. A head of black hair waved each time she stepped toward him. A deep brown eyes looked straight at him, as she got closer and closer. She stood there for a moment, just looking at him. ".You're the best looking guy here." She said after a while. "Oh?" Squall replied, a little taken back. "Com'on." She said again after a while. "Let's dance." She held out her hand. "No?" She said after Squall did nothing. "Oh, let me guess.you only dance with people you like?" Squall stayed wordless. "Then I'll have to make you to like me then." She then twirled her finger close to his face, as though trying to cast a spell on him. "You're going to like me, you're going to like me, you're going to like me." Squall still stayed silent. "Did it work?" She asked. ".I. don't dance." Squall finally answered. "Don't worry about it." She said while tugging at his arm. "You'll catch on." Then she dragged him on to the floor. She took one of her hand and held on to one of Squall's, and placed the other one around her waist. "Now." She said to him. "I'll lead you." Squall was lying when he said he didn't dance. But he tried to convince the girl he doesn't want to. "Ow!" She said after Squall half-purposely stepped on her foot. Then Squall started off the floor. "Oh no you don't." She said while grabbing his hand. "I'm not done with you yet." Again, Squall was forced to put up a fake act of no-dancing. This time, he led them into another couple. They looked at Squall and the girl in a weird way. "What? Jealous?" She said to them while making a face. The song ended, and so did Squall's resist to the girl. He felt that she was. different than anybody else he's ever known. She was the total opposite of Squall, but he felt that he has known her like a best friend. Another tune started, and Squall knew it. Soon, the both of them were dancing to it that them both don't even have to think about what's next. At the end of the song, the dance ended with both of them very close to one another. Their eyes met, her brown eyes locked onto his. Their hands were as if bonded to the other. "Fireworks! Wow." She said. Squall looked up, and saw blossoms of the colors of the rainbow above them. They stood there for a moment. ".You don't dance?" She asked him again. She held out her hand again to a new song, but Squall just simply kissed it. ".I'll see you around." She said after a pause. Then she walked off, leaving Squall standing there, motionless.
Moments later, Squall is standing on a balcony that's facing the ocean. "So, you are willing to dance with strangers, but can't continue a conversation with me, huh?" Squall noticed Quistis standing next to him. "It's not the same." Squall said. "You're an instructor, I'm your student. It's kind of odd if you're not saying anything." "Well, I'm only starting to understand my students." Quistis said. Squall didn't reply. "It's been a year now since I've become a teacher, I remember how I first got started.just graduated from here. You know why I did that?" "No." "I, Quistis." She started again after a pause. "Am no longer an instructor." Squall acted as if he didn't hear anything. ".Sid said I didn't have the heart of a teacher.I guess I don't. I must have been a little too involved with.my students, you know. A teacher should be strict and unforgiving. I can't stand punishing my students. Sid must've thought I was been soft with you guys, and- Hey! Are you listening to me?!" "Why should I listen? What I'm I suppose to say after you finish?" "I don't want you to say anything! Sometimes people want to let things out." "I don't think I should care about other people's problems. I mind my own business." "That's so you Squall." Quistis said. "Why are you being so cold? You are doing the same thing you did to Xu. Sometimes, a person just wants support from you.someone to lean on, you know?" "I don't want to carry another person's miseries. If it doesn't involve me, I don't give a damn. I'm sorry, but that's just me. It would take someone like an angel to change that." Then he walked back inside. "Well, I need that someone." Quistis whispered.
The Ball ended well past midnight, and Squall was occupied by Xu most of the time after she came from backstage. They talked, danced, and then left when Sid closed the Ball with a speech. People were slowly gathered themselves toward the door, and slowly filtered onto the pier. ".Something on your mind?" Xu asked him as they walked toward the train station. "No." Squall lied. He still has the picture of that girl in his head. She didn't ask any further. "Hey Squall!" Someone one called him. Zell was walking toward him, with Selphie closed behind. "Hey you luck dog, you! Who was that fine-ass-" But Squall grabbed him by the neck and almost made him choke. "Yeah! I had a good time too!" Squall dragged him from earshot. "Shut up about that." He said while Zell was catching his breath. "My bad." Zell answered. "What happened?" Xu asked when they walked back. "Ah.that's.d.an inside joke. Yeah." Squall said while scratching his head. ".Right." Selphie said, while giving Squall a look. They boarded the train back to Balamb Garden, but the Garden didn't look like midnight at all, people were still up with their after-parties. "I'll just go to bed now." Squall said. "No, you're not." Xu rejected. "You are to change then met me at the gate of the Training Center, in ten minutes." "You're starting to sound like Quistis, Xu." Zell said. Xu didn't say anything.
After Squall has changed into his normal clothing, he hastily went to meet up with Xu. "It's probably our last night together for a while. So, we'd better do something.memorable." She said as he showed up. ".Then shouldn't we be in your room or something?" "No! Not like that!" She laughed. "Gosh.where did you get this stuff? Zell?" Squall grinned. "Com'on. we're only human." She led him into the Training Center. Squall didn't come to this place much, but Xu seemed to know the way as she navigated him through different passages further inside. The stopped at the entrance to a door that said "NO ENTRANCE". She opened the door. It was a balcony. If you look past the clutter of boxes, you can see the full view of Balamb Garden's huge domed structure. As they went to the ledge, they saw other couples, some making out. The Garden was glowing with a strange aura around it, and the skylight shined to the stars above. "Nice." He said as he gazed at the Garden. Xu held on to Squall's arm, and leaned on it. "I know this place for a long time. But, I've never been here." Squall didn't say anything. "Did you enjoy the Ball?" He nodded. "Your song was beautiful." "Thanks. So, who was that girl you danced with?" "You saw me?!" She smiled. "I'm not mad. So who was it?" ".I don't know." "So she just came up to you and asked you to dance?" "Yeah.that's about it." "Hmm.I didn't see her afterwards either." Xu said. "I would've asked her how did she do it." "Do what?" "Get you to dance with her." Squall looked at Xu. "I would've danced with you anytime." "There's one thing I don't get about you." She thought out loud after she got closer to him. "How sometimes you can be this guy would ignore everyone, being cold to even your friends, and don't give a darn about anything. And the other times, when you are this sweet, funny, adorable, and making people feel comfortable and safe when they are with you." "Uh." Squall thought. "Identical Crisis?" She smiled. "No.I think you're deeper than that." "How will I remember you by when you're gone?" Squall said to her. "Well." She thought about it. "I'll give you this." She took off the ring she got from Julia. "Let this ring be the bond between us." She put it on Squall's right ring finger. "Let it never be broken." Squall looked at the ring, than took something out of his pocket. "This." He showed it to Xu. "Was my mother's. It's the only thing I have left of her. I had it all my life." "What is it?" She looked at it. Squall got down to his knees, and put it around Xu's ankle. "It's an ankle bracelet. I want to have it." "Oh! No! I can't keep this!" "It's special to me, but if you keep it safe for me, I'm sure it will be safe." She rested her arms on his shoulders. "I will always remember you, Squall." She kissed him, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I, the same."
©( Copyright Omega 2000-2002. All text is the property of Authors Tao Li and Jeanie Owen. All rights reserved.
Squall was sitting down at a table a short time after. Almost everyone was waltzing on the dance floor. He was sipping a glass of wine, getting a little dizzy, as he was not used to alcohol. It's ten at night now, and the sky is colored dark-blue. Squall put the glass down on the table and walked around a bit. Then sitting down again at a table near the door. "Hey, you." Someone said. He looked up. A girl was walking toward him. She was in a pearl-white dress. A head of black hair waved each time she stepped toward him. A deep brown eyes looked straight at him, as she got closer and closer. She stood there for a moment, just looking at him. ".You're the best looking guy here." She said after a while. "Oh?" Squall replied, a little taken back. "Com'on." She said again after a while. "Let's dance." She held out her hand. "No?" She said after Squall did nothing. "Oh, let me guess.you only dance with people you like?" Squall stayed wordless. "Then I'll have to make you to like me then." She then twirled her finger close to his face, as though trying to cast a spell on him. "You're going to like me, you're going to like me, you're going to like me." Squall still stayed silent. "Did it work?" She asked. ".I. don't dance." Squall finally answered. "Don't worry about it." She said while tugging at his arm. "You'll catch on." Then she dragged him on to the floor. She took one of her hand and held on to one of Squall's, and placed the other one around her waist. "Now." She said to him. "I'll lead you." Squall was lying when he said he didn't dance. But he tried to convince the girl he doesn't want to. "Ow!" She said after Squall half-purposely stepped on her foot. Then Squall started off the floor. "Oh no you don't." She said while grabbing his hand. "I'm not done with you yet." Again, Squall was forced to put up a fake act of no-dancing. This time, he led them into another couple. They looked at Squall and the girl in a weird way. "What? Jealous?" She said to them while making a face. The song ended, and so did Squall's resist to the girl. He felt that she was. different than anybody else he's ever known. She was the total opposite of Squall, but he felt that he has known her like a best friend. Another tune started, and Squall knew it. Soon, the both of them were dancing to it that them both don't even have to think about what's next. At the end of the song, the dance ended with both of them very close to one another. Their eyes met, her brown eyes locked onto his. Their hands were as if bonded to the other. "Fireworks! Wow." She said. Squall looked up, and saw blossoms of the colors of the rainbow above them. They stood there for a moment. ".You don't dance?" She asked him again. She held out her hand again to a new song, but Squall just simply kissed it. ".I'll see you around." She said after a pause. Then she walked off, leaving Squall standing there, motionless.
Moments later, Squall is standing on a balcony that's facing the ocean. "So, you are willing to dance with strangers, but can't continue a conversation with me, huh?" Squall noticed Quistis standing next to him. "It's not the same." Squall said. "You're an instructor, I'm your student. It's kind of odd if you're not saying anything." "Well, I'm only starting to understand my students." Quistis said. Squall didn't reply. "It's been a year now since I've become a teacher, I remember how I first got started.just graduated from here. You know why I did that?" "No." "I, Quistis." She started again after a pause. "Am no longer an instructor." Squall acted as if he didn't hear anything. ".Sid said I didn't have the heart of a teacher.I guess I don't. I must have been a little too involved with.my students, you know. A teacher should be strict and unforgiving. I can't stand punishing my students. Sid must've thought I was been soft with you guys, and- Hey! Are you listening to me?!" "Why should I listen? What I'm I suppose to say after you finish?" "I don't want you to say anything! Sometimes people want to let things out." "I don't think I should care about other people's problems. I mind my own business." "That's so you Squall." Quistis said. "Why are you being so cold? You are doing the same thing you did to Xu. Sometimes, a person just wants support from you.someone to lean on, you know?" "I don't want to carry another person's miseries. If it doesn't involve me, I don't give a damn. I'm sorry, but that's just me. It would take someone like an angel to change that." Then he walked back inside. "Well, I need that someone." Quistis whispered.
The Ball ended well past midnight, and Squall was occupied by Xu most of the time after she came from backstage. They talked, danced, and then left when Sid closed the Ball with a speech. People were slowly gathered themselves toward the door, and slowly filtered onto the pier. ".Something on your mind?" Xu asked him as they walked toward the train station. "No." Squall lied. He still has the picture of that girl in his head. She didn't ask any further. "Hey Squall!" Someone one called him. Zell was walking toward him, with Selphie closed behind. "Hey you luck dog, you! Who was that fine-ass-" But Squall grabbed him by the neck and almost made him choke. "Yeah! I had a good time too!" Squall dragged him from earshot. "Shut up about that." He said while Zell was catching his breath. "My bad." Zell answered. "What happened?" Xu asked when they walked back. "Ah.that's.d.an inside joke. Yeah." Squall said while scratching his head. ".Right." Selphie said, while giving Squall a look. They boarded the train back to Balamb Garden, but the Garden didn't look like midnight at all, people were still up with their after-parties. "I'll just go to bed now." Squall said. "No, you're not." Xu rejected. "You are to change then met me at the gate of the Training Center, in ten minutes." "You're starting to sound like Quistis, Xu." Zell said. Xu didn't say anything.
After Squall has changed into his normal clothing, he hastily went to meet up with Xu. "It's probably our last night together for a while. So, we'd better do something.memorable." She said as he showed up. ".Then shouldn't we be in your room or something?" "No! Not like that!" She laughed. "Gosh.where did you get this stuff? Zell?" Squall grinned. "Com'on. we're only human." She led him into the Training Center. Squall didn't come to this place much, but Xu seemed to know the way as she navigated him through different passages further inside. The stopped at the entrance to a door that said "NO ENTRANCE". She opened the door. It was a balcony. If you look past the clutter of boxes, you can see the full view of Balamb Garden's huge domed structure. As they went to the ledge, they saw other couples, some making out. The Garden was glowing with a strange aura around it, and the skylight shined to the stars above. "Nice." He said as he gazed at the Garden. Xu held on to Squall's arm, and leaned on it. "I know this place for a long time. But, I've never been here." Squall didn't say anything. "Did you enjoy the Ball?" He nodded. "Your song was beautiful." "Thanks. So, who was that girl you danced with?" "You saw me?!" She smiled. "I'm not mad. So who was it?" ".I don't know." "So she just came up to you and asked you to dance?" "Yeah.that's about it." "Hmm.I didn't see her afterwards either." Xu said. "I would've asked her how did she do it." "Do what?" "Get you to dance with her." Squall looked at Xu. "I would've danced with you anytime." "There's one thing I don't get about you." She thought out loud after she got closer to him. "How sometimes you can be this guy would ignore everyone, being cold to even your friends, and don't give a darn about anything. And the other times, when you are this sweet, funny, adorable, and making people feel comfortable and safe when they are with you." "Uh." Squall thought. "Identical Crisis?" She smiled. "No.I think you're deeper than that." "How will I remember you by when you're gone?" Squall said to her. "Well." She thought about it. "I'll give you this." She took off the ring she got from Julia. "Let this ring be the bond between us." She put it on Squall's right ring finger. "Let it never be broken." Squall looked at the ring, than took something out of his pocket. "This." He showed it to Xu. "Was my mother's. It's the only thing I have left of her. I had it all my life." "What is it?" She looked at it. Squall got down to his knees, and put it around Xu's ankle. "It's an ankle bracelet. I want to have it." "Oh! No! I can't keep this!" "It's special to me, but if you keep it safe for me, I'm sure it will be safe." She rested her arms on his shoulders. "I will always remember you, Squall." She kissed him, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I, the same."
©( Copyright Omega 2000-2002. All text is the property of Authors Tao Li and Jeanie Owen. All rights reserved.